§ MR. FIELDTo ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can arrange that the latest Returns of the Irish Railway Clearing House be laid upon the Table of this House, and containing information as to the making of preferential through rates in Ireland; whether he will set out in the Return the apportionate payments made to Continental, British railways, shipping companies, and Irish railways respectively; and whether he will ensure that the ordinary rate chargeable from Dublin shall be specified in the Return, so that a comparison shall be possible between the through and local inland rates.
(Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) I am not able to give a Return of the nature suggested. Beyond the provisions of Section 33 (5) of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888, under which in certain circumstances the apportionment of through rates between the sea and land portion of the route is required to be set out in the rate books kept for public inspection, carriers are not required to disclose the division of through rates amongst themselves.